SEIU endorses Barack Obama

SEIU Local 521 Executive Board voted this week to recommend that Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Kristy Sermersheim vote to endorse President Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential Election. Local 521 elected leaders reviewed the results from the recent “Our Voices, Our Choices” survey and, based on members’ feedback, agreed Obama was the only candidate who closely matches our values. The SEIU International Executive Board met this week and officially endorsed Obama. Kristy, a member of that board, represented Local 521 in that endorsement.

“President Obama is for the working people, the working families. He has made little steps in our direction, and he cannot make the larger steps unless we continue to support him. That’s why it’s important that we get President Obama re-elected next year.”
— Gwyn Harshaw, SEIU 521 president

The following is a statement from SEIU President Mary Kay Henry:

Today, with great pride and a sense of purpose, the 2.1 million members united in SEIU endorse President Barack Obama for re-election.

President Obama is the only candidate for president who shares our vision of America as a land of opportunity for everyone. We need a leader willing to fight for the needs of the 99 percent, and stand with hard working families to say that the world’s wealthiest corporations must pay their fair share.

You’ve probably seen how hard it is to get the concerns of working people taken seriously in our political process. Here’s why:

Our economy and democracy have been taken over by the wealthiest one percent.

These bankers and CEOs have used their wealth and excessive political influence to treat our state and federal governments like their personal cash drawer – spending lavishly on elections and then pressuring legislators to give them even more instead of creating jobs. It shows in the results.

Just last month, congressional supporters of the 1 percent blocked President Obama’s latest job proposals. They claimed that we couldn’t afford to invest in creating good jobs in the United States and then suggested another round of tax cuts for wealthy corporations and the one percent. I have a word for that: ridiculous.

We know what’s really important. We know that after a decade of tax breaks for the rich and out-of-control gambling on Wall Street, things have gotten much harder for working Americans. We know that if these problems aren’t taken care of now, the next generation will have it even worse.

We know that we need to create good jobs here at home so that workers can support their families, young people can get a good start in life, and everyone can have a shot at the American dream.

We know that health care, elder care and other vital services must be available for all our families.

We know there needs to be a pathway to citizenship for every immigrant worker.

We know that something has to be done.

President Obama is looking to turn things around, but he needs support from all of us to be heard over his wealthy opponents, people who seem to believe that the only thing wrong with the economy is that they have to share it.

From now until Election Day, next November, we need to dedicate ourselves to the goal of returning President Obama to the White House so he can keep fighting for more jobs and less nonsense.

We will fight shoulder to shoulder alongside working families across this nation. We will show the 1 percent that they aren’t the only ones willing to fight for America’s future.

Paid for by SEIU COPE. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

2 Responses to “SEIU endorses Barack Obama”

I received your missive and have this to say: “Folks who say that Barack-the-Magnificent ought to be President again are therefore saying ‘yes’ to empire, ‘yes’ to endless war, ‘yes’ to brutal oppression and economic marginality, and ‘yes’ to the untrammeled rule of the rich plutocratic thugs who are presently in command. I for one am clear: ‘No, thank you.’” http://sermcap.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/barack-the-magnificent-causes-a-renewal-of-vows/

When did you send this survey out? This is not equal representation for all members! Not every member is endorsing Obama. SEIU should not be endorsing any one political candidate. You are not representing the members views fairly.